The front-wheel-drive, full-size Hyundai Grandeur, the company likes to point out, is the top-selling premium four-door in its Korean home market. Here in the States, however, it’s known as the Azera, and there’s not much to brag about: the sleepy sedan doesn’t exactly fly off dealer lots, and its pillow-soft personality, styling, and dynamics don’t offer much to get the blood pumping. That may change in its next iteration, as our next Azera will follow in the radically modern footsteps of the all-new 2012 Grandeur released in Korea earlier this month.

Hyundai’s Best Design Yet?

As with most of Hyundai’s recent new-product efforts, including the 10Best-winning 2011 Sonata and the eye-catching 2011 Elantra, the fifth-generation Grandeur moves boldly upscale in style and content. The new model rides on a wheelbase that is 2.6 inches longer; it’s wider by 0.5 inch, lower by 0.8 inch, and overall length remains the same at 193.3 inches. Incorporating a pastiche of current Hyundai styling devices, such as a Sonata-esque snout and Equus-inspired rear haunches, the Grandeur looks familiar yet fresh, and very well proportioned; this could be Hyundai’s best-looking sedan yet.

The Grandeur’s interior appears wildly futuristic compared with the pipe-and-slippers environs of its predecessor. The amenities list contains some surprises, too, including Nappa leather upholstery, heated front and rear seats, a 14-way power driver’s seat, a panoramic sunroof, a semi-automated parking system, intelligent cruise control, and nine standard airbags—including a driver’s knee airbag. We have no reason to think that Hyundai will hold any of these features back for the U.S.-market Azera, especially considering the high level of content available on the new Elantra.

New DI V-6

The next-gen Azera may be the first (although certainly not the last) Hyundai/Kia product to bring us the company’s new 3.0-liter direct-injection Lambda II gasoline V-6. Producing 266 hp and 229 lb-ft of torque (up six ponies but down four lb-ft compared with the 3.3-liter V-6 in the 2011 Azera), the new engine may not offer industry-leading output, but Hyundai’s claim of 27 mpg is impressive for such a large car. In Korea, the Grandeur also offers Hyundai’s ubiquitous 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine, although there’s no word if the smaller engine will be offered here. Hyundai also claims improvements in ride smoothness and braking performance.

At current exchange rates, the Grandeur’s price ranges from $28K to $35K in Korea, and while we won’t know for some time how much Hyundai will ask for the Azera when it debuts in America—likely in early 2012—an exceedingly high value story is a given. Will the new model achieve sales domination in the U.S. as it has at home? Likely not, considering that Azera faces a lot more competition on these shores. But at least it will have the looks to get noticed.